Valvular closure for bottles and jars



Oct. 29, 1929.

J. E. THEBAUD VALVULAR CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES AND JARS Filed June 14, 19262 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 29, 1929. J. E. THEBAUD VALVULAR CLOSURE FORBOTTLES AND JARS Filed June 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet.

Inventor Patented ct. 29, 1929 UNITE-Dn STATES- PATENT OFFICE 'VALVULARvCLOSUBE FOR BOTTLES AND JARS Application filed June 14,

rl`his invention relates to valvular closures for bottles and jars, andother containers.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a valvular closurefor bottles, ars y or other containers, which can serve either as aself-retaining cork, or as a valve, which can be used in connection witha pump, for exhausting the air from the container. Such a valvularclosure then acts as a check valve to exclude the air after thecontainer has been vacuumized. After the air has been admitted, theclosure then serves as a selfretaining cork to the container. A furtherobject is to provide a self- "*retaining closure, having, a valveaction,

adapted in construction to small widemouthed bottles, as well'as largecontainers. Another object is to provide an easily opened andself-retaining valvular clos-ure, which will. retain itself on thebottle,` without othersecuring`V means, after the suction has beenreleased.

lVith these and' other objects, my invention resides in certainconstruction, various 5*embodiments of' which are illustrated in thedrawings, are hereinafter described, their operation is explained', andwhat Iclaim is set forth.

In the drawings,

Figure 1' is a sectiontaken on the line 1 1 of Figure 2, showing a jarand lidV with a closure embodyingmy invention. The position of the lowerpart of a hand` pump for r exhausting the air is indicatedby brokenlines.

Figure 2 is a top planA of the jar, lidv and closure shown in sectioninFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation; ofithe lid and closure shown in Figuresland 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 5, showing a1 widemouthed, small bottle, with a valvularclosure, embodying my invention.Also shown, partly insection, is a. vacuum hand pump, adapted for use onthe bottle shown.

Figure 5 is a top plan ofthe bottle and closure shown in sectioninFigure 4.

Figure 6 shows another form of` myinvention, adapted toA an ordinarybottle, and

1926. Serial No, 115,842.

is a section taken onttheline 6 6 of Figure 7.

Figure 7 is a section taken on the line 7 7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8- shows a further modified form of my invention, and is asection taken on the line 8 8 'of' Figure 9.

Figure 9 is a section taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 8.

Like figures of reference refer to like parts.

1n the figures, referring particularly to Figures. 1, 2, and 3, thecontainer body 10, which may be a fruit jar, or any other kind of acontainer, from which it is desired t'o exhaust the air, has a rim 11,upon which rests a rubber or other soft ring 12, acting to seal thejoint between the lid 13 and the jar body 10. A centering flange 14depends from the inside of the lid 13 into the jar body 10. Integral'with. and project-ing up from the flat part 15, of the lid 13,.is acylindrical wall 16,

having notches17 and.18rin its rim, diametrically opposite one another.The space within the wall 16 is open into the jar and an inturned flange19 forms an annular seat 2O upon which rests a. rubber sealing ring 21.Closing the upper part of the hole, within the Wall 16, is a stopper 22,having a flange 23, radially projecting from` the body thereof.Concentric with the flange 23, is a cylindrical flange 24, dependingfrom the body of the stopper 22. The flange 24 is preferably tightlygripped by the ring 21, which frictionally engages the wall 16, in acork-like action, yet it is not necessary to taper either thel flange orwall surfaces in contact with the ring 21, tovget a cork-like action. Itis also preferable to have the surface of contact, between the wall 16and the ring 21', of less height than the height of the surface ofcontact between the ring 21 and the flange 24, so that the ring 21will'have more friction on the. stopper flange 24, than it has againstthe inside of the wall' 16, andwill remain on the stopper 22, ratherthan stick in the bottle, when the stopper 22 isWithdrawn. Spacedconcentrically from the junction of the flange 24, with the body of thestopper 22, is the annular bead 25', forming by the spacing, an annular,inverted groove or channel 26, which', when the annular beadis inContact uit i. i

with the ring 21, forms an annular channel. Longitudinal grooves 27 and2S, and the inner surface of the ring 21, form channels in opencommunication between the large cavity of the j ar body 10, and theannular groove or channel 26. The radial flange 23 ts loosely within thewall 16. The top surface of the stopper 22 is preferably flush or belowthe plane of the top of the wall 16, rather than above the same, so thatthe rim of the wall 16 acts as a guard to the stopper 22, to save itfrom any eccentric knocks, that might tend to upset it and break thecontinuity of valvular contact between the annular bead 25 and the ring21, when the container has been vacuumized.

` A notch 29 is provided in the radial flange 23, for access to the ring21 with a pointed instrument or match, to press the ring 21 away fromthe bead 25, at the point beneath the notch 29, and break the sealcaused by the suction, which will be more fully ez;- plained below.

Having described the form of my invention adapted for lids of largecontainers, wherewith it is desired to use a comparatively small mouthedhand pump, I will now describe the form of my invention shown in Figures4 and 5, particularly adapted Yfor small candy and other bottles, havinga comparatively large top-opening, wherein the stopper itself forms thelid.

The bottle body 30 terminates in a cylindrical wall 31, having notchesat 32V and 33, diametrically opposite one another in its rim and has aninturned flange 34, forming a seat for the rubber ring V35, whichtightly grips the outer wall of-the cylindrical flange 36, of stopper37. The ring 35 frictionally engages the inner surface of the wall 31 ina corklike action, while gripping the flange 36.

The stopper 37 has an outturned flange 3S,

with a notch at 39. The flange 33 fits loosely tioned. and annular bead40, in continuous valvular contact with the rubber ring 35.

Between the annular bead 40 and the flange 36, is the annular groove 41,forming with the ring 35, an annular channel. Longitudinal, .verticalgrooves 42, in the outer face of the flange 36, form, with the innersurface of the ring 35, open communications between the inside ofthebottle and the annular channel 41.

lllustrating the position of a pump ready for action, there is shown apump 43, fitting the top of the bottle. 44 is the barrel of the pump,fitting which is the plunger 45, on a rod 46, terminating in a ring 47.The-base 43 has a rubber mouth 49 in contact with the rim of the bottleon the outside. This pump is shown merely to illustrate one form ofywithin the bottle is exhausted.

means for exhausting the air from the bottle,

in connection with the closure.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, the

bottle 43 has the usual tapered inner wall lat 49, adapted to fit asimilarly tapered cork,

but in this case the closure includes a tapered and corrugated sheetmet-al stopper 50, having a flange 51, bearing down on the rubber band52 at its top. The band 52 grips the corrugated wall 53, of the stopper50. There is no seatin this case required since the closure with theband 52 comes to a sealed stop where the forced fit leavesit in thebottle top on accountof the tapered parts, the closure, as a cork,frictionally stopping at a certain depth within the bottle top. Theflange 51 seats itself in sealed relation on the top of the band 52, ducto the suction, when the air The longitudinal openings 54, afforded bythe corrugations of the wall 53, in connection with the inner conicalsurface of the band 52, serve air passages, connecting the inside of thebottle 43 with the surface of valvular contact between the band 52 andthe flange 51.

Tn the other form of' my invention shown in Figures 8 and 9, the bottle55 has an inturnerVV flange 56 which forms a seat 57, for the rubberring 58, which has a corrugated inner face 59, the inner projections ofwhich are in contact with the cylindrical wall 60 of the sheet metalstopper 61. The ring 58 is in cork-like, frictional engagement with thewall 62 of the bottle 55, and grips the wall 66 of the stopper 61. Thestopper 61 has a flange 63, with an annular bead 64 formed on the flange63. Between the bead 64 and the wall 60 is an annular channel 65. Thecorrugations of the face 59 with the cylin-v drical wall 60, form airpassages between the channel 64 and the inside of the j ar.

All of the forms of closures, i1 cluding the Stoppers shown, are adaptedfor use as corks Y without suction, or as suction-valves to thecontainers, to which-they are fitted, and are used as check valvesthereafter, to prevent the air from getting back into the container,until the seal is broken at the contact between the radial flange andthe rubber sealing ring, or between the bead on the flange and therubber ring. The Stoppers may be made of any material that is not porousto air. Two kinds are shown, the forms illustrated in Figures 1 and 3,besides in Figures 4 and 5. The forms shown in Figures 6 and 8 areadapted for sheet metal. The pumps indicated in Figures 1 and 4 aresuction hand pumps, but all of the types of closures shown are adaptedfor power pumps and will seal automatically under the suction. Care,however, must be exercised to prevent the closure from flying ofil whensubjected to a sudden suction. In fact it is better to provide some kindof aV fixed stop about a sixteenth of an inch above the stopper toprevent the sudden burst of air from the bottle blowingtheclosu-re off.VA

slight up and down` movement between the' inner and outer verticalsurfaces, of the tion.

As for opening the closure, this ymay be done in various ways.Referringto the form,V shown in Figures l', 2'andA 3', after thestopper22k has been drawn` downti'ght by the suction from pumping, a-inatch G6vcanbe used-to open the jar, bypressing an'. endl of the same' throughthe notch 29, onto the rubber ring,- 21, to force the same away from thebead 25,

at that point, letting in air-,to the annular channel 26 and downthroughthe airpassages, 27 and` 28 Vinto the jarbody-A 10; The

stopper 22 will Vt-'hen be loose enough-to pull@ out, although tightenough-to remain as a self-retaining cork. The notches la7" and 18 areprovided as space in 4which to apply the fingers to take hold of thestopper 22 at'theY flange 23. TheV stopper 22 being iush with the tworemaining parts ofthe ri-m of theV wall 16, afford guards for theprotection of the stopper 22, against'knocls, which might disturb theseal.

The stopper 22 can also be released by means of a pin 67 insertedbetween the ring 2l and the bead 25 to let the air in.

rlhe form of Iclosure shown in Figures 6 and uses no seat for the rubberring at the bottom, nor a bead at the top. The seal in this case isbroken by forcing the rubber away from the flange 5l opposite one of theair passages 54 into the jar, formed between two consecutiveconvolutions of the corrugated wall 53. In the case of the form shown inl Figures 8 and 9 the air passages at the inner corrugated surface ofthe wall, act to let air in and out of the bottle.

.ln connection with the functioning of the rubber sealing ring on a seatand being confined sideways, attention is called to the fact, that dueto the swelling of rubber at right angles to the line of compressiveforce from the cap, i have in this case an increased side pressure andconsequent additional retaining friction set up when the lid. is forceddown, due to internal suction, so that in addition to the suc-tionholding the lid on, I have an increased friction at the sides of thering, where it contacts the wall of the container and the dependingiianoe of the lid, which it surrounds. This additional frictionmaterially improves the holding action of the internal suction making astronger seal. Vhen this suction is released, and the rubber ringassumes its normal thickness, this eXtra side friction disappears withthe release of the top pressure on the rubber ring, permitting an easyremoval of the lid.

In the case where the rubber sealing ring `vhas no seat to rest upon,but is wedged in like a cork in a bottle, the external pressure on thelid due-.to the suction tends to wedge the rubber ringz'intighter, andat the same time, due tothe; sic'leswellfing tendency under verticalpressure we have here also an increased'l side frictional effect, which,is released upon destroyingthe suction.

Other modifilcationsin construction can-'be made without depart-ing fromthe spirit and scopeof myinvention. Thereforel I do not wish'- to beconfined vto the various forms vhereshown and f described.

I cla-iin:

12. A closurefor acontainer, comprising a stopper, acircumferentialflange-*projecting out from said stopper, an annular bead on theunderside of said flange, spaced from the body of said stopper, a sealingring in contact circumferentiallly with the body of said stopper, and incontact with said bead and also with the mouth o-f said container, andmeans forming a fixed air passage, positioned insideof said ring,`between said ring and the bodyof said stopper, forming a communication.from the inside ofv said container tothe surface offcontact between.said bead and said? ring. Y

2; A closure for a container, comprising a stopper, a radiali flangeYprojecting circumferential-'ly out fromsaid stopper, an annular seat'onsaid*V container, a sealing ring on said' stopperin contactiwiththeunder side of said flange and in Contactwith the saidVA seat, andalsoin contactzwitlr thebodiy offisaid 'stopper at said flange, andmeans Vforming an. air pass sage, positioned; betweenV said ring andsaidstopper; at the: inside-:vertical side of: said` ring, and forming acommunication; from the insidefofYV said Ycontain/.eu tothe surface ofvcontactbetwecn; saldi flange and` said ring.

3. A; closed',` container.,l comprising a4 containerfbody, a.; lid tosaid body, asealing ring between said lid and said? body, sai d lid;havingfan: openingthruX itl into saidf body, a. rim to', said opening,ali-annular r seat'- at said rim, Second sealing; ring; f tionallyfitting within Said rim-:ofsaid lidA and on said seat, astopper:iittingwithinf said. ring,l an annular flange projectingradially outward from. said stopper infcontactlwith-tlic.top of. saidring, and? means forming an aiupassage, positioned between:l the inside:side ofr'said ring and said stopper; forming arcommunication betweentheainside of' said container. and the surface oficontactbetween-saidflange and said. ring.

LA closed container, comprising a container body, alidto-saidibody,asealing ring between- -said lid and .said body, said lid having anopening through it,into said body a rim` tol saidopening, ang annular'seat at said rim, a: second sealing. ring frictionall'y fittingWithimsaidl riin ofsaid lid, and on said seat, arstopperittingwithinsaidi ring, an annular flange: proj ecting` radially outwardfrom said stopper., afbead on. said fla-nge,- in: conta ct with` saidring, and means forming an air passage, positioned between the insideside of said ring and said stopper, forming a communication fromtheinside of said container to the surface of Contact between said bead-andsai rino'.

5. A closed container comprising a container body, an opening in saidbody, a wall surrounding said opening, a ring seat at the kside of andbelow the top of said wall, there being a notch thru said wall, abovesaid seat, a sealing ring on said seat, within said wall, a stopper forsaid opening, an out-turned flange to the said stopper, resting uponsaid ring, and means forming an air passage positioned between theinside side'of said ring and the body of said stopper, forming a com;munication from the inside of said container to the surface of contactbetween said flange and said ring.

6. A closed container Comprising a container body, an opening in saidbody, a wall surrounding said opening, a ring seat at the inside of andbelow the top of said wall, there being a notch thru said wall, abovesaid seat, a sealing ring on said seat, within said wall, a stopper forsaid opening, an out-turned fiange to the said stopper, an annular-beaddepending from said flange and resting on saidring, and means forming anair passage, positioned between the inside side of said ring and thebody of said stopper, forming a communication from the inside of saidcontainer to the surface of contact between said flange bead and thesaid ring.

7. In a Closed container having an opening, means forming a closure tosaid: opening, comprising an annular wall at the rim of said opening, aring seat at said wall, inside and below the top thereof, a sealing ringon said seat, a stopper lfitting the inside side of said ring, anout-turned flange to said stopper, fitting on top of said ring, saidflange having an opening thru it exposing part of said ring, and formingaccess to said 'ring for that which may be used to depress said ring andY break its continuity of contact with said fiange for the admission ofair to said container, and a second means forming an air passage,positioned between the inside of said ring and the body of said stopper,forming a communication from the insideof said container to the surfaceof Contact between said fiange and said ring near the opening insaidbelow the top thereof,a sealing ring on said seat, a stopper fittingthe inside of said ring,

an out-turned flange to said stopper, a continuous bead depending fromsaid flange and in contact with said ring, there being a hole thru saidflange outside' of said bead, to eX- pose part of said ring, and formingaccess to the said ring for thatwhich may be used to depress said ringand break its continuityV of Contact with said bead for the admission ofair to said container, and a second means forming an air passage,positioned between the inside side of said ring and the body7 of saidstopper, forming a communication from the inside of said container tothe surfaceof Contact between said bead and said ring near said opening`thru said flange and said bead.

9. In a Closed container having an opening, means forming a closure tosaid opening, Comprising an annular wall at the rim of said opening, aring seat at said wall, inside of and below',` the top thereof, asealingring on said seat having its outer cylindrical wall in Contactwith said annular wall, an internal Corrugated wall on said ring, astopper extend ing over the top of said ring, aV depending flange tosaid stopper fitting'within the corrugated wall of said ring.

JonN nnwinn THEBAUD,

llO

